


Shouldn't You Be Asleep

by LuliaRayaGrace



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-17 23:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11862294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuliaRayaGrace/pseuds/LuliaRayaGrace
Summary: Spot comes home every day to the love of his life. What his love is doing that day is always a mystery.





	1. Chapter 1

God, I hate long days at the office. I walked into the apartment slipping off my shoes and jacket. Heading toward the bedroom I stopped in the hallway to see that there was a faint glow coming from the living room. Slowly I walked down the hallway to investigate. 

I was surprised to see my husband sat in the middle of the couch wrapped in a blanket watching tv. It was almost one in the morning. Race should've been asleep hours ago. “What are you doing up still, Race?” I asked from the doorway. 

Race’s eyes moved from the tv to me, and tiredness was clearly evident in them. “I was waiting for you to come home.” Of course, he was. 

“Babe, you don't have too. You should be asleep yourself not waiting for me,” I said crossing the room. I lightly kissed him on the forehead. 

“How was it at the office today?” Race asked me pushing his blanket off himself. He stood up and about fell over but I caught him. I could feel his hip bones under his pajama pants, he needs to eat more. 

“Boring,” I chuckled, “What did you have for supper tonight?” I watched as panic slipped over his eyes. 

“I forgot to eat supper,” he mumbled to himself not looking me in the eyes. “I'm sorry, Spot. There are leftovers from last night's lasagna if you want some. I could heat it up?”

“That sound lovely,” I answered. I watched my husband make his way into the kitchen. It was an unofficial rule that I not allowed to cook. Race loved to cook and me personally I burnt water once. 

I leaned over the breakfast bar watching him move through the kitchen. He made it look like such an art even if he was only warming up lasagna. “Race you need to eat more,” I commented watching him pulling his pants up. 

“I know. It's just I'm not always hungry,” he said starting the microwave. Last month at our yearly check ups the doctor was concerned about Race’s weight. He'd always been a stick, all the ways through high school. Sure he ate, but having such a high metabolism. He burnt it as fast as he ate it. 

“It's ok. You're trying and that's all that matters,” I said walking around to kiss him. My finger found their way to the back of his neck and the small chain that hung around it. On the chain are Race’s wedding band and two dog tags. One that explained who he was and another with my information on it. 

Race had always had the dog tags for as long as I had known him. When he was little it was his mother's information and not mine. Race tended to wander an awful lot and get himself lost. Race never knew but in the one with his own information was a tracker chip. 

When we got married his mother had told me about the tracker and gave me the password to it in case he ever got lost and I couldn't find him. 

“Did you do anything today?” I asked him messing with the strings of his sweatshirt. Technically it was my sweatshirt, but he had claimed it as his now. 

“Oh there was this old lady who came in today and she was from London. She had the funny accent and everything,” he explained messing with the sleeve. Race worked at the bakery at the end of the block. Everyday there was a new story about how one of his coworkers almost burnt the place down or one of the unique customers he had. 

My thoughts we instructed as Race slipped out of grasp and went to the microwave that was beeping. Race took out the Tupperware container and set it on the small kitchen table. Quickly he grabbed two plates along with silverware while I got out two glasses of milk. 

I set the glasses on the table as Race split the lasagna between the two plates. You could clearly see which was mine because there was significantly more pasta on it. Once Race was sat down I slid his plate over to mine pushing some of my own lasagna onto his plate. 

“Spot,” he mumbled as I pushed the plate back to him. 

“You are not leaving this table till you eat that,” I said between bites pointing at his plate. I watched as he slowly picked his way through the lasagna, pushing the pieces of tomatoes on to the far side. “Why did you buy the sauce with the chunks if you aren't going to eat them?”

“Because you like them,” he said before taking another bite. 

“Race you cook what you want to eat how you want to eat it. I will eat no matter what you make,” I said. This is what he did. He made dishes that I liked and he didn't. I eat almost anything but Race is a little more particular when it comes to his food. But I will give him props he did put mushrooms in the lasagna, I know those were not in the recipe. 

“I'm done,” He said tilting his plate up to show me a semi clean plate except for the pile of tomato chunks on the side. I finish my last bite as Race chewed on his bottom lip. 

“Stop that,” I chastised standing up and grabbing his lower lip in between my fingers. “You are going to make it bleed if you always chew at it like that.”

Race did it when he was nervous, anxious, or panicked. He did it a lot of the time when he was bored as well, I don't even think he knows he does it to be brutally honest. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled pushing out his chair and walking towards our bedroom. I watched him climb into bed as I changed into a pair of sweatpants. Slowly I slid under the cover and wrapped my arms around Race’s waist pulling him into my bare chest. 

“Night Race. I love you,” I said into his angry mob of blonde curls. 

“Love you too, Spot,” Race mumbled rolling over burying his head into my chest before falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I rolled over expecting to find Race sprawled out on his side but to my confusion, he wasn't there. Slowly I climbed my way out and slid a tee shirt on. I made my way to the kitchen and stopped in the door frame. 

Race was in the kitchen. He was still dressed in the same pajama pants from last night but had lost the sweatshirt somewhere. I watched as he lightly sang to himself while cooking something on the stove. I could see his phone sitting on the counter next to him. 

“What are you cooking?” I asked. I must have scared him because he jumped at the sound of my voice. 

“There is toast in the toaster and I have scrambled eggs in the pan right now,” Race said moving the pan onto a burner that wasn't hot. 

I took two pieces of toast and some of the eggs. I sat at the table and Race joined me. He had a single piece of toast and about three bites of eggs. 

“Race,” I warned causing him to look at me. 

“Spot, I'm not hungry. I ate all the lasagna last night. I'm eating something,” he said eating a spoonful of eggs. 

“Ok, that's acceptable,” I said finishing off my breakfast. I picked up both of our empty plates and set them in the dishwasher. “You planning on doing anything today?” 

It was Saturday so Race didn't have to work, he never worked on the weekends. But I did, I worked from noon to nine. 

“Romeo said he wanted to do something today, but he wouldn't tell me what,” Race said. Romeo was Race’s older brother. 

Romeo had been a little skeptical of our relationship in the beginning but he understood it now. “Know what time you will be home?” I asked. 

“About eight I think,” Race said walking back into the bedroom. I followed him. I got myself dressed in a pair of dress pants and button down shirt which I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows. Race got himself dressed in a pair of jeans and one of my football tee shirts. 

We headed to the door. I slipped on my dress shoes and Race tied up his pair of converse. “I want you to be asleep by the time I get home,” I said giving him a quick kiss before I went out the door. Race walked beside me with our fingers interlaced. 

“Have a good day,” I said before giving him one more kiss and climbing in the car.


	3. Chapter 3

I was driving home when all of the sudden the car was shaken by the sound of thunder. Oh crap. I needed to get home not for me but for Race. 

He was scared of the storms. Not the storms but the memories they brought with them. I quickly parked the car and ran inside and to our apartment. I unlocked the door and quickly slipped off my shoes. 

“Race,” I called quickly walking in the direction of the living room. He was not there or in the kitchen. I ran to our bedroom in the hope he would be there. 

I heard a small shriek come from the closet as another boom of thunder made its way through the air. I opened the door to find my husband curled in the back corner with his arms wrapped around his legs and head buried in the top of his knees. 

“Race,” I said very quietly pulling his eyes and attention on to me. 

“Make him go away Spot please,” Race cried. I quickly picked him up and moved us onto our bed. I sat on the bed as he had himself wrapped around me. I could feel that his hands were in death grips on the back of my shirt. 

“He's not here, Race. He can't hurt you anymore,” I said rubbed circles in the lower part of his back. 

Race’s dad was the cause of this. He had done so many things to Race as a child. Romeo and his mother never knew about them until one day Romeo saw a red mark on the back of Race’s neck. It wasn't a week after that and his dad was no longer in the picture. 

But that didn't stop the memories though. I wouldn't have known about any of it if it weren't for one night. It was during our sophomore year of high school. Romeo and Race had had a bunch of friends over one night when a storm had come through. 

I was woken up by Romeo moving Race out of the room as the panic attack started. Eventually, Romeo got him calmed down and came back downstairs to find that most of his and Race’s friends were awake. Romeo explained what had happened. 

“You ok now?” I asked Race as he shifted himself. 

“Yay,” he said pulling his head out of my shoulder. “Thank you.”

“You're very welcome. I'm sorry I wasn't home when it started,” I said looking into his blue eyes with rims that were still slightly red. 

“Why are you sorry? You're not the one scared of thunderstorms,” Race said perplexed. “I should be sorry for not being able to not freak out because of a storm.”

“Race you and I both know it's not the storms it's the memories that come with them that trigger the panic attacks,” I said wiping a tear from under his eyes. 

“I just feel like I'm old enough now that they shouldn't be happening anymore,” he mumbled laying down on the bed. 

“Ready to go to sleep?” I asked. 

“Ya,” Race answered climbing off the bed and changing into a pair of pajama pants not caring to put a shirt on. I changed into a pair of basketball shorts. We both climbed into bed. I pulled Race to me. 

“Wake me if you need anything. I love you, Racer,” I said before drifting off the sleep. 

“I love you too Spotty,” Race laughed before falling asleep curled up next to me.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank goodness for Sundays. The only day of the week where neither Race nor I had to work. I climbed out of bed and headed for the kitchen starting the coffee pot. My phone beeped on the counter where it was plugged in beside Race’s. 

I unlocked to see there was a text from our friend Jack. He was texting me asking if he and some of our friends could come over to hang out today. I told him yes and to be here in about half an hour. 

I made my ways towards the bedroom with my warm cup of coffee in my hands. “Race it's time to get up. Jack is coming over with some of the boys in a little bit,” I said leaning against the door frame. 

“How long?” He asked not making any move to be getting up in the near time. 

“In half an hour,” I replied between sips of my coffee. 

“Wake me up in twenty minutes,” Race mumbled. I walked out of the room laughing. I watched the weather while watching the small clock in the corner of the screen. When the twenty minutes were up I made my way back to the bedroom. 

“Your twenty minutes is up Race. It's time to get up,” I said as he rolled over to glare at me. “Up, Race.”

I watched as he rolled his eyes and buried his head back into his pillow. “Nope,” I said quickly crossing the room. I bent down and pulled off the blankets and lifted Race over my shoulder and carried him into the living room sitting him on the couch. I went to the kitchen and brought him a cup of coffee before grabbing him a shirt out of our room tossing it at him. 

“Put that on Jack will be here soon and we don't want you running around half-naked with guests present,” I laughed sitting in an armchair that was beside the couch. 

Race mumbled something incoherent to himself. “I can't understand you when you mumbled, babe,” I said as there was a knock on the front door. I went towards the door as Race scrabbled to get his shirt on and follow me. 

“Racer, I missed you so much,” Albert yelled running into the apartment and hugging Race. 

Race looked at Jack who was standing in the doorway nervously. “Al, how about you let Race go and we can all go sit in the living room,” Jack suggested. Albert almost immediately let go if my husband and ran to the living room. 

“Thanks, Jack,” Race said attending to catch his breath. 

“No problem Race. Spot if you didn't marry Race I'm almost certain Albert would,” Jack laughed before walking to the living room as Crutchie and Davey followed him.

“I couldn't handle being married to him,” Race laughed before walking towards the living room. 

“And I couldn't handle not being married to you,” I laughed sitting down on the couch beside Race. 

“You two are such saps,” Crutchie commented from the floor where he was sat between Jack's legs. 

“And you're not?” Race fired. 

“Those two are. I'm just the third wheel,” Davey laughed sitting down beside Crutchie. 

Crutchie leaned over and kissed Davey on the cheek as Jack kissed his forehead. “You are not a third wheel David Allen,” Jack said sternly. 

“I sense trouble in paradise,” Albert laughed from the back of the couch behind me. 

“No, what you sense is my fist colliding with your face,” Crutchie retorted. 

“Crutch, let's be serious you don't have a violent bone in your body,” I laughed. 

“Well then you haven't seen the bruises on Jack’s hips,” Davey said trying to not burst out laughing. 

“Oh my poor Christian ears,” Race yelled ducking his head into my shoulder. 

“Wait Race is Christian?” Albert asked. 

“No, he's not he's just being over dramatic,” I laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

“Where are we going?” I asked as Race led me down the sidewalk. Albert, Jack, Crutchie and Davey had left a little after noon and Race had decided that we were going on a walk. And this is how I ended up walking with the love of my life down the sidewalk in the middle of Manhattan with no idea where we were going. 

“It's a surprise,” Race laughed as we walked in to Central Park. We walked to a tree that had a wild flowers growing around it. I laughed as we sat by the flowers. Leaning back into the grass I watched the clouds slip by over head.

“Spot,” Race called causing my gaze to switch to him.

“Ya babe,” I said sitting up peering over at him. Race let out a small laugh while placing a crown of flowers on my head. I leaned over a placed a kiss on his cheek. “Racer if this was the 60’s you would totally be a hippie.”

“I’d be your hippie,” Race laughed.

“Ya, you would be,” I laughed grabbing his necklace, pulling him to me and kissing him. I laughed when he laid back down in the grass but I watched as he went to itch the rash that was appearing on his wrist. It was one of the main reasons we lived in the city, Race was allergic to multiple kinds of grass and plants. “Anth, ready to head home?” I asked. 

“Ya, if I stay here any longer it’s gonna be us in the hospital tonight,” he said standing up.


	6. Chapter 6

I was sitting in my office Monday afternoon when my cell phone started to ring. “Spot Conlon speaking, how may I help you?”

“Spot, this is Specs. I don’t know you very well but I’m a good friend of Race’s and I know you are his husband,” Specs said. 

“Well, hello Specs and what do I owe this call?” I asked wondering why this guy was calling me. 

“There was an accident at the bakery today, Spot and you are needed,” as Specs said that I immediately headed for the door. 

“What kind of accident?” I questioned stepping out onto the sidewalk heading towards the bakery where Race worked. 

“About half an hour ago a fire started and Race is still unaccounted for,” Specs said. No, no, no. 

By now I was full out running to the bakery. When I rounded the corner the section of the street in front of the bakery was blocked off. 

I ran into the commotion and found who I assumed was Specs. “Specs, your Specs right?” I asked quickly looking around for any sign of Race.

“Yes, I’m Specs. You’re Spot, correct? Race’s husband?” He asked.

“Ya, I’m Spot have you seen Race?” I asked as my phone started to ring.

“Hello, is this Sean Conlon?” The person on the other end asked.

“Yes, this is him. May I ask who this is calling?” I questioned still scanning the crowd for any sign of Race.

“Yes I work at the lower Manhattan Hospital and it appears that your husband had just been admitted to our hospital. We found your contact information on the dog tags we found around his neck,” The guy continued.

“Yes, that's correct. I’ll be there as soon as I can, thank you for alerting me,” I said before hanging up.

“Who was that?” Specs asked still scanning the crowd.

“The hospital where Race is. Thanks for calling me Specs but I gotta head to the hospital and call Race’s older brother,” I said before running out of the scene to the hospital. 

When I got the hospital I when for the front desk Impeitly. “Hello, I’m looking for my husband Anthony Conlon-Higgins,” I said impatiently as the lady at the desk begun to type on her computer.

“Fifth floor, room 578,” She said before moving to the next person. I quickly walked to the elevator while pulling my phone out to call Romeo. 

“Hey Spot what up?” Romeo said cheerfully, in the background I could hear Davey, Crutchie, Jack, and Albert.

“You need to come to the lower Manhattan Hospital, now!” I said watching the numbers tick by on top of the elevator door.

“Why?” Romeo asked.

“For the sake of your brother’s life. There was a fire at the bakery today,” I said stepping off the elevator and started walking the halls looking for number 578.

“Oh god! Ya, I’ll be there and I’ll bring the others your hearing in the background as well,” Romeo said as I found Race’s room. I pushed the door open causing Race to look at me as a smile slid onto his slender face.

“Ya, I just found his room and now he is grinning at me like a complete idiot,” I said pulling a chair to the left side of Race’s bed.

“Who are you talking to?” Race asked with his voice a little hoarse, probably because of the smoke from the fire.

“Romeo,” I said before Race had stolen the phone and turned it on speaker.

“Hi, Romeo!” Race yelled before breaking into a coughing fit.

“Why the hell did you set the Bakery on fire, Race?” Romeo said over the phone.

“I didn’t do it,” Race said finally being able to talk again.

“Ok, I’m heading to the hospital and bring your friends with. Well be there in about ten minutes, don’t burn down the hospital. Spot, what room and floor?” Romeo asked as they heard a door close in the background, telling them that Romeo had just left his apartment.

“Fifth floor, room 578,” I answered before grabbing my phone away from Race, making him lean back on the bed pouting. “See you guys in a bit.” I slide my phone into my pocket.

I stood up and leaned over to kiss Race. Once I sat back down I noticed that Race was wearing a hospital gown only. I pulled out my phone again texting Romeo, ‘Stop at our apartment and grab Race a pair of sweatpants, a tee shirt, sweatshirt, and some shoes, please.’

‘Yep can do.’ Romeo texted back.

“Your brother is gonna stop at our apartment and grab you a set of clothes because I’m pretty sure we can’t salvage what is left of yours,” I said.

“Hopefully he brings sweatpants and not jeans,” Race said while connecting our hands.

“Why’s that?” I asked running my hands over the multiple bandages on Race’s arms covering places where he got hurt escaping the fire.

Race disconnected his left hand from mine leaning forward to remove the blanket that was laying on his lap to reveal a full red plaster cast on his left foot until just under his knee.

“Anth, what happened?” I question running my hand over the rigid plastic.

“I tripped over something trying to get out and broke my tibia and fibula,” Races explained pulling the blanket back over his foot.

“Does it hurt any?” I asked.

“Why do ya think they got a needle poked in my arm?” Race laughed holding up his right arm, which indeed did have an IV stuck in it. “Can I have your tie?” Race asked pointing at my work tie that was still around my neck.

“Ya, I guess,” I mumbled while untying it from my neck and undoing the top button of my shirt before handing to Race. I laughed as he tied it around his blonde curly head like some idiot college kid.

“I’m tired,” Race muttered laying down again.

“Then go to sleep,” I said as Race rolled over onto the left side of his body smirking at me, “What?”

“Come sleep with me,” Race laughed patting the open half of his hospital bed.

“You’re a child,” I laughed standing up slipping my shoes off before climbing onto the bed. 

“Ya, but you married me,” Race joked while sliding his body against mine, ducking his head into my chest.

“That I did,” I confined while wrapping my arms around Race’s slender waist being cautions of the IV in his arm.


	7. Chapter 7

“Race, you’re not supposed to be putting weight on that leg,” I warn as he gets up from the couch and makes his way to the kitchen without his crutches, “Go sit back down.”

“And let you burn down the kitchen?” He challenges moving the boiling pasta off the hot burner, “Ya, I don’t think so.”

“I wasn’t gonna burn down the kitchen,” I laugh walking back to the living room get Race his crutches.

“I gave it five minutes before I would be looking for a new apartment,” Race laughs as I slip his crutches under his arms, “I’ve been in one fire the week. I don’t need another.” He quickly lifts his leg relieving it of the weight it was holding. 

I take a seat at the counter watching as Race hobbles through the kitchen finishing up supper. “Dinner is served,” Race laughs as he makes his way to sit on the other stool beside me, propping his bad leg up so it laid across my lap.

“Thanks for finishing it. I’ll be a real cook by the time this thing comes off,” I laugh patting Race’s cast.

“By then we won’t have a kitchen for you to ruin, because it will already be ruined. Therefore, stay out of my kitchen,” Race instructors in between bites of his food.

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” I laugh leaning over quickly kissing Race before returning to my supper.


End file.
